Announcements

University of Georgia students who have been awarded federal or state financial aid, including the HOPE or Zell Miller scholarships, or student loans, may use their financial aid to study abroad on a UGA study abroad or exchange program, as well as through external study abroad programs which have been approved for transfer credit by UGA and the Office of International Education.

+ Scholarships

There are a wide variety of scholarships available to students wishing to study abroad: OIE General Scholarships, UGA Scholarships, National Scholarships, Regional Scholarships and Graduate Scholarships. To find further information about these scholarships click here.

UGA students studying abroad on UGA study abroad programs for direct credit (i.e., UGA in Costa Rica, Cortona and Oxford, as well as faculty-led programs) only need to meet the standard requirements to receive financial aid. Once accepted into a study abroad program for UGA direct credit, the UGA registration process is done the same way as on-campus, therefore, no additional paperwork for financial aid disbursement is required. UGA transient students participating in UGA study abroad programs for direct credit should work with their home university to secure financial aid. All students participating in UGA study abroad programs for direct credit are charged UGA in-state tuition and a program fee on their student account.

+ For Students Studying Abroad on UGA Exchange Programs or Approved Non-UGA Programs

UGA students attending UGA Exchange Programs or approved non-UGA study abroad programs sponsored by other universities or organizations must complete the Office of International Education Transfer Credit Approval (TCAF)prior to going abroad, as well as meet the standard requirements to receive financial aid. The Transfer Credit Approval is the official process students must follow to be able to transfer credit earned on their study abroad program to UGA. Students must also maintain student and financial aid status at UGA while abroad by enrolling in a special course set up by the Office of International Education.

Students participating in non-UGA programs are not charged tuition by UGA, but are rather expected to pay this cost directly to the sponsoring institution or program provider. Students on scholarships with an out-of-state tuition waiver are unable to utilize it for their participation in non-UGA study abroad programs. Students participating in UGA exchange programs are charged UGA in-state tuition on their student account.

Once a completed Transfer Credit Approval is on file in the Office of International Education and the student is showing enrollment for the appropriate number of credits in the special course, the disbursement of eligible financial aid can be scheduled through the Office of Student Financial Aid. In most cases, financial aid can be released (via check or direct deposit) to students approximately 10 days prior to the official start date of the program abroad.

+ Out-of-State Students on UGA Programs Abroad

Out-of-state students must be enrolled for ALL study abroad courses for any given term in order to be assessed the instate tuition rate. Students participating in non-UGA programs are not charged tuition by UGA, but are rather expected to pay this cost directly to the sponsoring institution or program provider. Students on scholarships with an out-of-state tuition waiver are unable to utilize it for their participation in non-UGA study abroad programs.

+ Financial Aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress

To maintain financial aid eligibility, students must show measurable progress toward earning a degree by successfully completing 67% of the credit hours they have attempted at the University of Georgia, plus any approved transfer credit. As the academic calendars at universities in other parts of the world vary from the calendar at UGA, delays in posting international transfer credit are common and may result in a temporary loss of financial aid eligibility until UGA receives the study abroad program transcript, processes the earned transfer credit and recalculates a student's Academic Progress.

For financial aid that is based on credit hours (such as HOPE), students who end up taking fewer credits abroad than what was originally stated on the Transfer Credit Approval form may receive a request for repayment of part of their financial aid. This may also be the case for dropping from a full time to a part time course load while abroad for financial aid such as Pell Grant, Federal loans, etc.